Be careful what you wish for!!!

Good morning and Merry CHRISTmas eve! I am sure you are all running from here to there trying to get last minute preparations completed. I pray that at some point today you will find time for you that you will sit and take a moment or two to reflect on Mary in the stable laboring, a young scared girl about to bring the savior into the world. I pray that you will think about what it means to be a parent and what the true meaning of tomorrow is really about. Baby Jesus' birthday, what a wonderful celebration!

In prayer this morning, I thanked our Father in heaven for allowing me to awake with a better attitude and no sadness. I prayed the whole of yesterday for the funk in my spirit to be cleansed and for me to be able to enjoy the festivities. So I have put on my big girl panties and am ready to face the holiday with joy and happiness in my heart! I prayed for each of you, that the stress of the day might be minimal, and that a CHRISTmas tune is being hummed by you with lots of smiles for everyone you see today. I asked God to provide those traveling to and fro with safety of arrival and no incident. I asked God to bless our military who have not yet made it home from overseas, that they might feel the love and appreciation that is felt for them. I asked God to give special blessings to those who are suffering heartbreak from the loss of loved ones and to give strength to those battling illness and disease. Father give each of us peace in our hearts, calm in our minds and comfort in our bodies. In the name of Jesus Christ I ask these blessings. Amen.

I came across this poem, and although it is titled for Mom's, I think it applies to all the caregivers in the world, to all mommies and daddies! 

The Night Before Christmas For Mom's

It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode

Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.

The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,

While visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie, flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,

With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.

So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,

Which made her sigh, "Now what's the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,

She descended the stairs, and saw the old man.

He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug.

"Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho-ho-ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake."

"Your gift was especially difficult to make."

"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone."

"Exactly!" he chuckled, "I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she asked, "What good is that?

Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat."

The mother's twin. Same hair, same eyes,

Same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust," She'll mop every mess.

You'll relax, take it easy, Watch The Young & the Restless." "Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream come true!

"I'll shop. I'll read., I'll sleep a whole night through! "

From the room above, the youngest began to fret.

"Mommy?! I scared... and I am wet."

The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."

"Hey," the mom smiled, "She knows her part."

The clone changed the small one, and hummed a tune,

as she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon.

"You the best mommy ever. " I really love you."

The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you, too."

The mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal. "

That's my child's love, she's trying to steal."

Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear, "

Only one loving mother, is needed here."

The mom kissed her child, and tucked her into bed.

"Thank you, Santa, for clearing my head.

I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,

When they'll be too old, for my cradle-song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.

Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."

With the clone by his side Santa said, "Goodnight. Merry Christmas, Mom, You'll be all right."

-Author Unknown

Judge me by the Footsteps I leave behind!

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! I pray your "hump day" will be a great one, one filled with grins and giggles, It is another gray day here with a fresh mini blanket of snow forecast we are in great need of a good windy storm to blow away the foggy haze and return to us blue skies and sunshine! 

In prayer this morning I sat outside bundled against the cold and listened to the morning, the haze made it appear really gloomy and the lack of sunshine made me a bit melancholy, I sat and thought about all that I had to do today, prioritizing, listing, and planning. I thought about how this type of day is how my heart feels without seeing my daughter on a regular basis and I thought about how this type of weather was a symbol of someones life each and every day. I began to feel great empathy for those who live each day in "gloom" I know we all get into a gloomy state every so often, but we are able to work through our "gloom" and move back into the light. For some the "gloom" is a daily way of life, they feel as if there is no other way, they get themselves out of bed each day with "gloom", they lay themselves down at night with the same "gloom". It is our responsibility to see these "gloomy" people and be the light that might make them wonder...how, why! We need to shine brightly and be open to them so that if they have a wish to crawl out of their "gloom" we might be God's helpers. God leads people in our path at all times we just many times are to busy to see them. I pray this day that you open your eyes, get past any "gloom" that might be shadowing you and see those who feel they are eternally engulfed by it! Open yourself up and let them share in your light! I asked God to bless all those in "gloom" with you today, to provide you with calm, comfort and peace and to touch your hearts. I asked God to bless my friend having the CT scan on her lungs today that they see only pneumonia and nothing more and for her to be healed completely, and to bless each of you who are suffering any malady with his love and healing hands. I asked these blessings in the name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Share in this story with me and try to imagine what you would have said and done in the shoes of this man's parents! God is good all of the time and will never lay more upon your shoulders than you can handle. Love to you..be an angel today...so many are in need! 

Judge me by the footsteps I leave behind

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam.

He called his parents from San Francisco.

“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.”

“Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”

“There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”

“Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There’s a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart. You don’t know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift It always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

One Nation Under GOD!!! ~~ HONOR AND INTEGRITY~~

 

   Good morning and Happy Veteran's Day, I pray today that you will take time to get "on bended knees" and ask special mercies and blessings for all of the men and women who have sacrificed so much to keep us here on US soil safe and with freedoms! ~~Salute~~Salute~~Salute~~UNITED STATES MARINE CORP~~UNITED STATES ARMY~~UNITED STATES NAVY~~UNITES STATES AIR FORCE~~UNITED STATES COAST GUARD~~RESERVIST'S AND THE NATIONAL GAURD...I stand with my arms outstretched, with my heart open, and with the greatest and utmost respect.
     This morning in prayer, as I sat wrapped up in my favorite "Betty blankie" with my beanie on my head in the solitude of the outdoors, as I sat there meditating and in deep conversation with my Father in Heaven.  As I was thanking him for each of our armed forces, as I sat in reflection of all of the men and women who have sacrificed for our country and our freedom, I sat there in awe of all the things we take for granted, the freedom to worship God without fear, the freedom to speak without fear, the freedom of our own political views, not to mention the freedom of living, jobs, spending. Thank you Father in Heaven for these earthly angels who stand as a physical shield of protection for us, please as they shield us, wrap your arms around each of them and shield them from harm, bring all who are not on foreign soil home safely and each and every day let them feel the love and appreciation we have for them. We are the United States of America and we stand tall and proud!!!
      I prayed my normal and usual prayers asking God's mercy and grace for all of us who are facing any type of struggle today, asking God to bless each of us with our needs and to continue to give us the strength and the perseverance we need to get through our day. I asked God for special prayers for those who are standing in wait as their loved ones began their heavenly journey, allow them to feel your love for them, allow them to know they are very pleasing to you in the love and care they are giving to make this transition as easy and peace filled as they can. Reward them for their efforts Father, allow them this day to know that your faith in them is unwavering and that you are there to provide them with peace, comfort and calm. As I was closing my prayer I thought once again of all the men and women who have stood in harms way to allow me to sit out taking in the beauty that God has created this day, who have sacrificed so that I might write this blog each day without fear of punishment or chastisement!  God I love you so much! I ask these mercies and blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is a beautiful story I read this morning, I read so many trying to find just the right one and I asked God to help me determine which one I should place with my blog. When I came to this one, I knew it was "the one" I knew that it would show the integrity and the love that there is in this world and it touched me so deeply.  Although the story is of a young Marine, I know in my heart any member of any branch of the Armed Forces would have done the same thing! You may be in different branches, just as t many people belong to different churches...but when the smoke and dust clear, it is still ONE NATION UNDER GOD that you serve...it is one GOD that we worship!


The Marine's Father


A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.
"Your son is here, " she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before they patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated, because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. the Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital- the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his so all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the marine replied.
"I never saw him before in my life."
"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

" I knew right away there had been a mistake but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

author unknown